Virat Kohli equals Alex Hales for most 50-plus partnerships in Men's T20s
Dharamshala, May 17
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and India's iconic batter Virat Kohli has once again underlined his consistency in T20 cricket by drawing level with Alex Hales for the most 50-plus partnerships in Men's T20S history. Both batters now sit at the top with 210 fifty-plus stands in the shortest format. Kohli achieved this feat during RCB's clash against the Punjab Kings in the ongoing Indian Premier League on Sunday afternoon in Dharamshala at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.
He stitched a brilliant 76 runs off 41 balls stand with Devdutt Padikkal for the second wicket during the clash. This elite list also features T20 giants, David Warner (200), Babar Azam (196), and Chris Gayle (191).
This fifty-plus stand with Padikkal marked the duo's sixth 50+ partnership of the season, as Virat Kohli once again etched his name into IPL partnership history.
After rewriting records alongside AB de Villiers in 2016, Kohli has recreated the magic a decade later with a new partner at the crease.
Their six 50-plus stands in just nine innings is the joint second-highest tally ever by a non-opening pair in a single IPL season. Kohli-de Villiers duo of 2016 sits above them with seven such partnerships in 13 innings.
The list also includes legendary combinations of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Michael Hussey and Suresh Raina in 2013, along with the Mumbai Indians (MI) star pair of Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma in 2025.
Kohli has now been involved in 138 50-plus partnerships in the IPL; the next most is 107 for MI's iconic batter Rohit Sharma.
During the match on Sunday against PBKS, Kohli slammed 58 off 37 balls, laced with 4 fours and three massive sixes.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Virat Kohli doesn’t just bat; he builds partnerships. The way he anchors an innings and sets up platforms for big totals is unmatched. Even after all these years, he finds ways to evolve. Be it De Villiers, Gayle, or now Padikkal, he adapts to his partner. Class act indeed! 🇮🇳👏
Honestly, this is a great achievement but let's not forget his T20I strike rate debate. Domestic leagues are one thing, but international T20s mein performance consistency bhi dekhni padegi. Phir bhi, record is record - kudos to Virat for staying top in both formats for so long. #Respect
As an England fan, I always rated Alex Hales for his T20 contributions. But Kohli? The guy is on another planet. 210 fifty-plus stands is insane. The fact that he did most of his damage in IPL against world-class bowling makes it even more impressive. Kohli > Hales for me any day. 🐐
Yeh stats toh dekhte hi dil behl gaya! Especially the part about Kohli-Padikkal partnership being second highest in a season by non-openers. Devdutt is lucky to have him as a mentor. And Rohit bhai ka 107 partnerships hona bhi impressive hai. Indian cricket ka golden era hai ye. ❤️
One day we take a moment to appreciate Kohli's
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